This image is for our Founding issue and will only continue until we have enough submissions on it but deadline is by August 15,2026. Then a new image will be selected. This is not a contest.
This image is for our Founding issue and will only continue until we have enough submissions on it but deadline is by August 15,2026. Then a new image will be selected. This is not a contest.
Every photograph tells a story.
The challenge is discovering which one it tells you.
Each month, Magnolia Quill features a single photograph as inspiration for writers of every age and experience level. We invite you to spend a few quiet moments with the image before putting pen to paper.
There is no right answer.
Write whatever the photograph awakens within you.
It may become:
• A poem
• A short story
• Flash fiction
• A personal essay
• A memory
• A letter
• A journal entry
• A reflection
• A single paragraph
• Even a single sentence
Every image speaks differently to every person.
We simply invite you to listen.
At the end of every year... if we get a good enough response we will:
Publish a special feature:
Through the Lens: A Year in Words
Include:
the twelve photographs,
your favorite reader responses,
and a note from each photographer.
That would become a beautiful annual tradition and a lasting record of the creativity your community shared throughout the year.
• Maximum length: 1,500 words
• Poetry: Up to 3 poems
• Previously unpublished work is preferred.
• Include a brief biography of 100 words or fewer.
• Please mention "Through the Lens" in the subject line of your email.
Send submissions to:
editor@magnoliaquill.com
Selected responses may appear in future issues of The Magnolia Quill and on our website.
There are no wrong stories.
Only stories waiting to be told.